The Summoner
by Hatsuharu
Summary: Sakura is an aspriring Summoner in a world that's been free of the Fox Demon for five years. However, an evil force threatens to bring back havoc once again, and Sakura must journey. Her first Summon? The Fox Demon itself!
1. Apprentiship Complete

**More Detailed Summary:**

**Haruno Sakura is the apprentice of the most famous Summoner in the entire world, one of The Three Heroes to defeat the Demon Fox five years ago: Tsunade. But one day, another of The Three Heroes, Orochimaru, takes Tsunade's life and steals a forbidden scroll. Before her death Sakura gives her one last request: Become a great Summoner, and stop Orochimaru. Her first summon? The Demon Fox, Uzumaki Naruto! As her journey begins, what will she face, and how much will she learn? **

**Summoner**

Chapter One

Apprentiship Complete

Amongst dark, stone cobbled walls, frozen and shivering to the touch if not for the hearty fireplace embedded was a messy, smoky room. A sooty floor dobbled with little sparkles that twinkled in the light was otherwise barely visible under the four legged tables sporadically placed and cauldrons settled about.

Atop those tables were worn and dirty cloths with little round bowls and bottles filled with colorful, at times bubbly and energetic liquids. Standing next to a particularly small and round table with a cauldron of its own was a young lady of fifteen years, with beautiful long cheery pink hair and glowing emerald eyes. She wiped a bit of sweat off her face and she stirred a thick, gooey green substance in the pot before her.

"Master!" Sakura called in an excited voice. Her hands let go of the long wooden staff in the pot, flexing her sore fingers. After blowing them lightly for good measure she grabbed the stick again and pulled it out of the large, black cauldron. The end was curled and lapped with the green sparkling glop, but as she tapped the stick on the edge of the pot what remained quickly sunk back in. She smiled. "Master, I've finished it!"

"You have?" a feminine voice said. The only thing that seperated this oddly messy room from another was a torn cloth hung by a pole with rings. Pulling it out from her way was a beautiful woman with large, rather divulging breasts and a loose white robe. She was rather eldery, aging fifty, but kept young looks with her flaxen hair and golden brown eyes. She smiled as she reached out a hand. "Let me see it!"

"Yes ma'am," Sakura replied, bowing as she handed the staff to her master. The woman, Tsunade, examined it thoroughly, tapping on the wood with her long red fingernails and sniffing the curled end that had been mixed with the ingrediants in the cauldron.

Quickly she struck the end of it on the stone floor and before her appeared a hazy, gray smoke. When it cleared, small, pink flower petals were floating in the air, dazzling the otherwise dark and dirty colored room. Sakura smiled in admiration of the beauty, then met eyes with her master to wait for a reply. Tsunade then smirked, handing the staff back to her apprentice.

"Very good!" she said, clapping her hands together. "I could never have anyone better than you; you're a great learner, especially with all of the ingrediants you've needed to learn."

Sakura bowed deeply, gripping the at each end with both of her hands. Her cheeks flushed at the compliment. "Thank you so much, Master! Would you like me to make another one for the day?"

"No. You've already done a lot today; take a bath!"

With another shorter bow, Sakura lay the staff on top of the table where the cauldron still sat and dashed out of the room, closing the curtain that so as not to cloud up the next room with the smoke. She felt giddy and she walked down a flight of spiraling stairs, down into a room that was underneath the ground. _'After three years . . . My first summoning staff!'_

Tsunade was telling the truth when she had given Sakura the compliment of how well she did on making her first staff. For so long under her teachings the young lady studied all of the magics in the world and the ingrediants, common and rare, that were used to create them. She learned where they were located and which ones were extinct.

Sakura undressed in the bathroom as the tub filled with warm, tasteful water. This home she had lived in was so filled with magic that everything was done by command. If one asked the knife to cut the carrots for a meal, it would cut. If one asked the broom the sweep, it would sweep. This was mostly by Tsunade's command, however; rarely did they follow Sakura's directions, since she was still in training.

"Thank you," Sakura said as she stepped into the water, her toes tingling at the warmth. As she spoke the faucet with water stopped, leaving her to a quiet, peaceful setting. She dove her face underwater, held her breath, then came back up, flicking her hair out of her face. Soap suds floated around her and she sighed of relief. After a long hard day, she loved this feeling. _'This is heaven!' _

Witches and wizards weren't uncommon in the world she lived in; in fact, learning the basic spells of a witch or wizard was part of the schooling of a child. It was hard work, so rarely people stepped forward to the next level, but from the moment Sakura read of the wonders of spells she was fascinated. The kinds spells she was most taken with however, were not of conjuring fire or bewitching little things like candles or chairs.

Among everything, summoning was what amazed her. The people who trained at such a level were so rare that they had a title of their own: Summoners. They were the cream of the crop, the most powerful among every person in the world. Sakura was lucky to meet not only a Summoner to come under the training of, but Tsunade of The Three heroes. The same heroes who had saved the world from the Demon Fox that killed.

'_I wonder what happened after that,' _Sakura lazily thought as she crossed her arms over the side of the tub. She was allowed to speak to Tsunade in a casual manner and always asked her about her journey with the other two heroes, but it sometimes seemed her Master was vague about certain events on purpose. The world knew the Fox Demon had been defeated, but how? And where did the body go?

'_After all . . .' _Sakura sunk back under neath the water, closing her eyes to protect them from the bubbles that would creep up. _'Such a huge thing couldn't have just dissapeard.'_

Truthfully, she had no personal grudge against the Fox Demon, though she knew many that still harbored a hate for it. The massive creature was defeared ten years ago after five years of a long reign of terror. She was born when he came about and grew up hearing stories, but she was lucky; her family always moved when they heard news of the coming monster, and they made it away unscathed. She'd never even seen it before.

Unfortunately for many, especially Sakura's master, Tsunade was the only one of The Three Heroes that was alive. Or at the very least, no one knew if the other two were living. They have quickly dissapeard after the Demon Fox was defeated, and Tsunade never spoke of what happened or even if she knew.

Sakura's head popped through the surface of the water again, taking a deep breath. She glanced next to her, and on the rim of the tub were bowls of different ointments, shampoos and conditioners for her hair. Closing her eyes once again, she began to hum her favorite tune, the one her master had taught her.

Tsunade yawned as she let go of the small spoon inside of a hot steaming pot of warm vegetables. She flicked her wrists towards it as she turned around and instantly the little ladle was brought to life, mixing the tasty foods on its' own above a roasting fire. She smiled and muttered a thank you as she sat down on a chair in the kitchen, which pulled out of place itself.

"Thanks," she told the chair. She rubbed her forehead and leaned back as much as she could, heaving out a heavy sigh in the humid room. The kitchen was almost as equally messy as the Magic room as she called it, with so many stains for cooking failures. She smirked. She may have been a hero, but she always lost the battle in the kitchen, even with her spells.

Tsunade glanced over to a small chest in the corner of the room, one that had been securely locked and wrapped with strong, durable silver chains and buckles. As she looked, her expression grew grim and serious, remembering the past. Dust had long piled upon it as she had dared not to touch it herself for years. There were many secrets hidden within that treasury, and they were secrets never meant to be shown off again.

A loud knocking on the entrance door to her chalet made her stand up again. It was often she had company, most of the time receiving young scholars interested in the battle to defeat the Fox Demon. She always turned them down, however; she wanted to keep the previous memories of that long journey to herself.

That was why Tsunade was so surprised the day she met Sakura three years ago. She was a short girl dressed in heavy, almost manly clothing and a childish smile. The woman could instantly see the desire to learn and the dedication in her eyes, and welcomed her in. It was her first apprentice, and she was quite proud of her too.

'_Her first summoning staff,' _Tsunade thought, another smile crossing her red lips. She stepped into the hallway, her bare feet long used to the cold on the ground. For her, it was rather comforting it was so home-like for her. _'She will become a great summoner. I can feel it.'_

"Hello?" Tsunade said as she opened the door to her home. It was wooden and arced at the top; unfortunately for her, it was a little short for a woman so tall and she had to lean underneath when she went out to take a walk. "Is there something you need?"

Instantly her eyes became wide and she gasped. Before her was a tall man with long, thin, unkempt black hair and a pale, bony face. He stared at her with mad, intent eyes; normally she would not feel so intimidated, except it had been years since she had seen this man, and he seemed . . . _changed_. She could sense his power, his strength, and perhaps something cruel. She had hoped it was her imagination.

"It's been a while, Tsunade," the man said in a rather raspy, threatening voice that sent chills down the womans' spine. There was no way this was her imagination. Something was definitely different than before.

"That's who I am," Tsunade replied slowly, trying to keep her confidence and keeping him outside. She was unsettled by the sudden wide, wild grin that showed canine white teeth. Her eyes darted to his bone-thin hands, which reached for a long thin sword. She braced herself, knowing that somehow she couldn't use words to an old friend, but she couldn't even see his swing it was so swift.

She didn't even have time to scream.

Sakura, wrapped only in a small but still modest towel hurried up the stairs, not worrying in the least about the water trail that was dripping on the ground behind her. She heard a loud thump upstairs and while she knew her matser could very well handle herself, she had to be sure. Tsunade was very important to her, after all.

"Master!" she shouted as she opened the door at the top, stepping onto the cold stones of the first floor. She shivered a little but frantically ran into the hallway, turning her face and letting out a frightened screech.

Tsunade lay in a heavy pool of blood, her eyes wide and staring ahead. Her mouth was gaped open, and her gorgeous pale skin had now become deathly white. Across her chest, from her neck to her navel in a straight line, was a long, thick scar. A lava of red liquid spilled from it.

"Master!" Sakura called, running over quickly and kneeling to Tsunade's side, picking the older woman's head up and resting it on her knees. Her towel had fallen, but she felt no shame from the moment. She bit down on her lip to try and resist tears, but they had started to come. "Master . . ."

" . . . Sa . . kura . . ." Tsunade said in a weak voice, barely audible even to her apprentice's ears. The woman closed her auburn eyes slowly, her chest rising and falling with difficulty. "That man . . . Orochimaru, he . . . stole the scripture . . ."

"Please, don't talk," Sakura begged, taking Tsunade's hand and holding it to her cheeks. In her mind, she had remembered the name Orochimaru as one of the heroes, but she barely concerned herself with the matter. Her cheeks were wet with tears now, her eyes narrow and her face puffy and raw.

"The . . . the scripture . . . is forbidden . . ." she continued to say. It took everything just to speak one word. This time, Sakura listened to what her master had to say. She knew it was incredibly important. "It will destroy . . . all . . . everything . . . if he learns the secret . . to it . . . _agh_!"

"Oh no!" Sakura said as Tsunade coughed heavily, blood spilling on her chin and cheek. Still, she refused to keep quiet and Sakura did not stop her.

"Please . . . you must go . . . get it back . . ."

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked, fear in her eyes. What was her master asking of her? "I don't understand! I'm only an apprentice magician; I'm not good enough for something so big . . . you can't really be asking that of me, can you?"

Tsunade laughed a bit despite a shill, sharp pain running through her chest that made her breath in harshly. She smiled awkwardly, but barely. "Do you . . . know why I took you in? Sakura?"

Sakura sniffled. " . . . Because I asked."

"Listen . . . many over the years . . . they have asked . . . to become what you are now . . . but they don't have it. They don't have the spirit . . ."

"The spirit?" the young lady questioned.

"The spirit . . . of a Summoner."

Sakura's eyes widened, her heart beating faster at the mention of Tsunade's words. She was so afraid now, but hearing something so powerful from a legend made her heart soar. She . . . she had the power of a Summoner? Her? _'It has always been my dream to become a great Summoner . . . but I never knew that I really could be one!'_

"The chest in the kitchen," Tsunade said, bringing Sakura's attention back to her master. "That is where . . the scroll had been . . . but there should be . . . something else . . . You're very first beast so Summon . . ."

'_Oh my,' _Sakura thought, barely being able to keep up. Her breathing was almost just as unsteady as Tsunade's. _'This is really happening!'_

"Go . . . go train to be a Summoner . . . take on my legacy . . . please . . . get back what was taken."

Sakura felt the hand on her cheek go limp as it slid away from her palm and fell to the floor. Sakura's body froze, her eyes staring through her tears and down at the woman lying before her. Sticky, warm blood dripped on her bare legs, but as she touched Tsunade's face, her skin was deathly cold. "Master . . ."

Sakura clamped her eyes shut as she threw her hands to her face, crying loudly with great bellows. She couldn't control it; the very person she loved most in the world, her greatest confidant for three years, her mother, her sister, her best friend was gone.

"_Master_!"

After a lot time of sobbing Sakura stood up, gently lying the head of her master on the floor. She didn't worry about the blood on her own body; she would clean Tsunade up, and give her a proper funeral. She cried so much mourning her death that she couldn't cry anymore. Her face was rock hard, serious.

She turned around, picking up the towel and wrapping it around her body again as she walked. She walked into the kithcen where bewitched spoons and bowls still worked together to make a hearty meal, completely innocent of the passing of their creator. She ignored them, for once not amused by their awkward but cute movements. She had her eyes on something else.

In the corner of the kitchen where old, ripped cobwebs, gathered near a large but now broken chest. She had never questioned why it was always sealed up with chains and locks, belts and bolts. She knew that if there was something so secure, there had to be a reason, especially with her master. But now it had been cut clean in half, two sides fallen on their sides. She kneeled down to look inside of it.

'_Where?' _Sakura thought, her eyes glancing around. So far she didn't see anything. But as they wandered just a bit more, she caught something in the very dim corner of the broken chest, glittering amongst the gloomy dark. She reached in for it, grimacing at the feel of cobwebs, and pulled out a small roll of parchment tightly wrapped with a black leaf, a spiral in the center. _'What is this . . . Is this what Master told me about ?' _

Sakura slid off the emblem, dropping it on the floor and slowly opened the piece, her eyes fixedly waiting to see what was upon it. What she saw surprised her, almost frightened her. Etched in dark red ink was a messy, rough painting of the Demon Fox, standing over a giant forest.

"This can't be what she asked me to summon!" she said aloud, not even realizing she had spoken. At her words the scroll glowed a powerful white light, and Sakura felt a warm sensation trail through her system. Instinctively she shut her eyes and covered them with her arms, forgetting about her towel once again. She fell completely to her knees, succumbing to an incredible power.

'_This force,' _Sakura suddenly thought. Even when trying to protect her sight, the light was so blinding she could see some through her eyelids. Her body felt as if warm flames were pressing against her skin, giving an almost tingling sensation. It was almost overwhelming, this energy. _' . . . This is surely the Demon Fox!' _

Even as the light began to die down and the warmth began to fade away, Sakura still kept her guard, utterly afraid of what she was sure was the Fox Demon. However, the power she had felt before was beginning to receed and she only heard to small taps on the floor.

"_Ah_," said an unusually human-like voice, grunting only a bit as if stretching. Tempted to see what had really come from this great scroll, what she had really taken as her first as a Summoner, she put her arms down to her side and slowly opened her eyes. They suddenly widened. A boy.

"Finally," he said, twisting his wrists around as if trying to get the feeling back in them, "Uzumaki Naruto is free once again!"

X x x x x

Hmm . . . I'm not sure if I'll continue this. I just liked the chapter and thought I'd share! If I did, it would be a story of her collecting her little summon-creature things, each the different characters (with their own specialties!) while becoming stronger herself to stop Orochimaru. A real journey story!

But still, what do you guys think? Should I continue it?


	2. Seeking out the Hokage

**Chapter Two**

**Seeking out the Hokage**

Sakura sat before the Fox Demon, utterly amazed more than afraid. She thought that the creature would be terrifying, ready to tear her apart. But the first creature she had ever summoned in her entire life turned out to be a _boy_ instead. Despite the picture, what was called was not what was drawn on the scroll.

The boy before her did not look much older than her; she was tempted to say he was even the same age. His puffy, soft cheeks sported three scars across each and the ocean-blue orbs that were his eyes looked energetic and exciting. With his ruffled, all-over-the-place sunny hair, he looked more of a loud child than anything.

'_And he called himself Uzumaki Naruto,' _ Sakura thought, trying to piece things together. Her mind began to zone away from the outside commotion as she thought things through, her eyes falling to the floor and her hands gesturing. _'Master said to take on her legacy, but what exactly am I supposed to do? I've never seen her summon a living creature before!'_

The Demon Fox Naruto looked down at the girl curiously, suddenly amazed by the pretty, soft, _exposed _skin . . . His cheeks flared as he turned away, but after a moment he peeked in her direction again. She didn't even seem to mind the fact that she was uncovered, and in front of a boy no less!

His curious wide eyes traced her features until they saw her hand. While he had already seen light smeared blood on her shoulders, chest and cheeks, it was most heavily among her fingers and palms. Suddenly his senses felt riled by the sight, and he licked his lips; something about blood just brought out a strange temptation.

"So," Sakura continued, looking like she was counting her fingers, the digits curling into her palm as she numbered them off, "There are two things. Uzumaki Naruto and the Demon Fox can't possibly be one and the same. It just doesn't seem- _Hey_!"

Sakura was snapped out of her thoughts when she felt Naruto's nails dig into her soft-skinned wrist and pull her forward towards him. It was then that she had unconsciously picked up the towel to cover her breasts, but he wasn't after such a thing. She shut her eyes, but opened them again when she felt something warm and ticklish against her hand.

Naruto had only taken her close enough to lightly lick away at the blood in her hands, his tongue lapping up so much that in no time her hand was only lined with a light layer of saliva. When finished he wiped what little blood that had trickled down his chin and suckled on his fingers, grinning widely once he had finished. "That was _so good_!"

For a moment, Sakura only stared in shock. However, once she had snapped out of her state she quickly stood upright, pulling the towel that slightly covered her extra close with one hand while her other pointed into his chest with an index finger. She suddenly felt absolutely livid! "What are you thinking, you disgusting _monster_! That was Master's blood you just drank!"

"Your master?" Naruto repeated, looking up at her while taking a few momentary glances at finger that poked him. He took a small step back; despite her frail body, the girl obvious had some strength hidden inside of her. "That wasn't your blood?"

"_No_!" she shouted back. _'How dare he! This is so degrading . . . I never would have tried to summon him if he was like this!' _

"Hey, hey," Naruto started slowly, holding up his hands rather defensively, a childish grin on his face. "Calm down now, Master."

Sakura didn't seem to understand what he had said; it took her a moment to register his words. While she contemplated in her head again, Naruto took the chance to look around just a bit in the kitchen. His eyes closed only a little as he lifted his chin and sniffed the air, then he scowled as he covered his nose.

"Geez!" the Naruto growled, his sharp canines protruding. "This place reeks of those people . . ."

"Those people?" Sakura asked out of nowhere, curious. But before he could answer, she shook her head, shouting just a bit louder than she had to for his attention. "No, wait! Forget about that! Why did you call me Master? You're just a boy! I don't own you!"

Naruto chuckled a little at her words, as if the answer were plainly obvious. She gave give a curious expression, begging for what he knew. What did he knew that she didn't? This was frustrating! "What are you talking about? You summoned me, the Fox Demon, right?"

'_What?' _Sakura wasn't sure what to say to that. Yes, of course she had summoned the Fox Demon, or she thought she had tried and failed. She was so sure she had made some sort of mistake when she called him boy instead, but . . . _'Have I really done it? This . . . this boy is really the Fox Demon? Then that means . . .'_

Out of nowhere she hugged Naruto tightly, pulling his head over her shoulder as she squeezed him with all her might and cheered. She was already forgetting all of the questions and momentary confusion that she had felt; she was just proud. "I've done it! I've correctly summoned my first one! My first summon!"

"Uh . . ." Naruto kept his hands wide apart at his sides, making sure not to touch her in any way that she, or any girl for that matter, would normally deem inappropriate. So far, however, his master had turned out to be a not so modest girl. He blushed heavily, then waited until she had pulled away. She was very giggly at the moment, but at least she had remembered to hold up her towel again.

"Wow," she said, a girlish grin on her face, "I can't believe it . . . Master always said I was good, but to go and finally be able to summon the Fox Demon . . . the great and powerful Fox Demon, no less!"

"Proves that you have a lot of potential, huh?" he said, smiling back. For a moment the two exchanged a sort of mutual feeling for one another, one of comfort, but that had quickly withered away and they averted their eyes. What did one say to their master, or their new summon? Naruto covered his mouth slightly and coughed. "So . . . do you have any clothes or anything, Master?"

Sakura looked down at her body, finally noticing what she seemed to have completely forgotten about the entire time. While she unconsciously remembered to keep herself modest, as most people learned to, she had truly remembered that she was close to naked until he said it. She turned red as she hastily tried to cover up even more, then she turned.

"I-I-I'm going to my room!" she said as she round the corner to go down the stairs. "Just wait up there, Fox Demon!"

"You don't have to call me that," he said with a pout, but he did as he obeyed. Naruto kneeled down onto the floor, his toes curling into his sandals as he stayed patiently in his spot before the broken treasure chest.

Right before him, slightly stained with blood from Sakura's hands was the scroll he had been locked into. But this time, there was no such design of him in his true form, or even the forest behind what had been. It was empty; clean as a slate. He stared resentfully as his prison for a moment, then he ripped it to shreds. _'I hate that place.'_

Naruto heard a clank over nearby him and turned, unexpectedly bumping his head into a floating bowl. He shut his eyes momentarily to protect them, then a sweet aroma filled his nostrils, and while the bowl kept bumping into him as if he were in the way of its path, he captured it in his hands.

For a moment it struggled, then the magic that had possessed it seemed to have faded. Many loud crashes could be heard then, and as he looked at the kitchen next to him there were salt shakers and spoons all over the stone floor. Shrugging and ignoring them, he looked in the bowl and tasted the dark mesh. A tingle of pleasure ran down his spine.

'_This sweet stuff,' _he thought, now taking in even more by the handful and swallowing it, _'It's really good!'_

This sudden new food entertained him as something not just for eating; he laughed as it slowly dripped off his fingers like a slimy goo, and just for fun he tossed it across the kitchen and onto a far wall. A huge splat struck against it and he giggled mischievously.

"Humans," he said in between bites, "They have so much fun!"

But even through the tasty meal he was taking in, another smell wafted into his nose, heightening his senses. It was the blood he had before; just as fresh, just as enticing. Still, another scent lay even within that, one he felt disgusted by. He placed the bowl down onto the floor, careful not to make too much of a clank, then he followed the scent down the small hallway.

As soon as his eyes came to the floor, he knew. Despite his hate for the woman before him, there was a solemn resonance in his eyes. Naruto kneeled down towards Tsunade's dead body and felt her stiff, pale cheeks, shivering at the sudden cold he felt. He lightly traced down her figure towards her open chest where the wound was still bleeding from. Ironically enough, the blood was warm to the touch. "Old woman . . . Were you _my_ master's master?"

Sakura pulled the dress over her head, tugging on the end of it just slightly to tidy it up. It was a thin, white top that stopped squarely below her collarbone, hugged at her breasts than flared down to her waist. While it was already quite feminine enough, the lace around the ends and the small, silky bow on her back added even more of a girlish touch.

With that, she put on a skirt of hers that was mid-thigh of the same color; Tsunade always told her that one who traveled had to be able to move, and a long dress would tire her quickly. _'Master . . .'_

Sakura frowned as she looked back into the tall mirror before her, slowing down her movement as she ran her hand through her rather tangled hair. It was still wet from her bath. Then she turned to look at a brush on her desk, which normally would be dancing about from her master's magic, ready to straighten her hair and make it most beautiful.

"Please," she started, thought there was more of a saddened tone in her voice than a strong command, "I know that Master is no longer here, but would you work for me? I have to pack and ready myself, so I'm afraid I can't brush my hair with as much care as you give it."

It took a moment but the brush did come to life, sauntering off the table before tripping over the side. It looked as if it were going to fall for the ground for a moment, but magic possessed it further and it began to float towards her hair, already beginning to straighten it to perfection. Sakura smiled softly as she slipped into some comfortable walking boots, hopping a bit since she had nothing to sit on.

As she finished tying her second thigh boot she flinched at a noise she heard above. At first it sounded like a slow dragging noise, one she had hear before but not quite registered, then she heard a thud and someone cursing. She had figured that was Naruto, the one she decided herself to call Fox Demon. _'I wonder what he wants me to really call him . . .?'_

For now Sakura decided to ignore the noise; she knew full well that no matter what you summoned, they had to obey their master no matter what. Even if it was the powerful Fox Demon, she commanded that he stay where he was. In her long years of research as an apprentice, she had learned that and many other things. Instead she packed.

Another rather loud noise was up stairs, only now it seemed to be outside. Sakura panicked slightly, but tried her best to continue thinking of other things. _'Right . . . do I have clothes? Things to clean myself? What about a staff . . .?' _

Come to think of it, she hadn't needed a staff when she had supposedly summoned Naruto. Was that normal? She knew just how difficult it was to summon even the tiniest things, yet she had been bestowed the power; and she didn't use a staff! _'Maybe I'm special! Or Master was such a great teacher, that . . .'_

Finally, the brush had dropped onto the floor with a thud, and right after closing her travel bag Sakura picked it up and put it on her dresser table. It was automatically supposed to stroke through her hair a thousand times, just how many times it took to make a girl's hair perfect. She was almost ready to go, but she had changed her mind about leaving the brush behind. She opened her bag momentarily to put it in, then she closed it again and headed up the stairs.

"There we go . . ." Naruto wiped a light amount of sweat from his forehead, then he swung around his hands to get off the mix of disgusting liquid and dirt. While there was mouth-watering blood mixed in as well, he didn't feel like having to try anything else to get it. " . . . For my master."

He was sure he was in the backyard of Sakura's house, which really wasn't more than a small patch of grass heavily surrounded by woods. He sensed a sort of enchantment about them, but then again ever since he came here he felt the present of magic. Tsunade's body had it especially strong, even stronger than he had even remembered.

Naruto sat down next to the large pile of dirt next to him, patting it lightly. He smiled, part of it glad that he did his duty and the other part of him feeling unusually sad. Underneath the ground his hand had touched was the body of an amazing woman, that was for sure. "Old woman, I'm sure you'll be missed."

Now Naruto lied fully back on the ground, linking his fingers behind it head and making himself as comfortable as possible, though some of the longer grasses tickled his cheeks. He sighed as he looked up lazily at the sky, a sky that was a clear blue, swirling with fluffy clouds. It was a nice day, one that acted as if no one had died.

Naruto closed his eyes. "It's been forever since I saw the sky . . ."

"Naruto!"

The Demon Fox opened his eyes again and sat up, seeing his new master standing at the back door to the small home. She was dressed in all white with the exception of her traveling boots, which were made of a light brown, somewhat fuzzy animal skin. Her hair, now dry and properly flowing past her shoulders, made her look adorable. He tried his best to deny the pink rising to his cheeks. "Master!"

"What did you do with Master's body?" she asked hastily, and swiftly he recognized her expression looked angry. Sakura almost looked ready to cry. "Please, tell me! Where did she go?"

Naruto smiled, then he pointed down at the patch of scuffled brown dirt in front of him. "No worries, Master. The Old Woman is right here, buried properly . . . I think that's the most respectful thing for her, right?"

Immediately Sakura's senses stirred and stopped at the same time, and mix of relief and wonder. So far, Naruto had shown her nothing but kindness, if anything. For such a dark creature that he was known to be, he was kind and even considerate here. She slowly stepped towards the fresh grave of Tsunade's, kneeling down before it and feeling the soft soil between her own fingers.

Momentarily, she looked to Naruto but turned back to the grave. "Master . . . you really gave her a proper . . ."

"Huh?" Naruto tried to peek at her face, which was hiding underneath her hair, "You okay?"

Sakura couldn't help it. She tried to keep strong during this, even if it had only happened earlier that day. She decided that she would leave her tears behind and go on her journey like she had been asked. Go out and be a Summoner, stop Orochimaru, bring peace to everyone and everything before they even realized there was danger, but . . . Sakura wiped away at her face, sniffling a bit.

'_Master . . .' _she thought, her other hand squeezing the dirt between her hands, _'I'm going to miss you! You taught me so much . . . you were so important to me . . .'_

"Master," Naruto called lightly, averting his eyes a bit. He wanted to make her feel better, but he knew that it wouldn't be the case. A death of someone so close to her would be a wound that would take time to heal, and all he could do was wait. " . . I . . ."

"Please," Sakura said slowly, though her voice was shaky, "Please call me Sakura."

For a moment, he was rather surprised. A first name basis? He had really found a good person indeed. He could tell from this she was someone who cared, who was strong, and who could really pull through. He nodded, more to himself since she couldn't see. "Then don't call me Demon Fox. Call me Naruto."

"Oh . . . Uh-huh . . ."

Naruto waited until Sakura was ready and her tears were completely gone. Once she was finished, however, her mood seemed to be very nice. The two walked through the house to get through the front, Sakura picking up her travel bag in her kitchen first.

When they went out to the front, they were surrounded by just as much woods as the backyard, and only a thin, dirt-like path lay before the two of them. The village Tsunade and Sakura had lived in was quite well-knitted and small, but because her master was a celebrity, they kept her home in hiding.

"So," Naruto began, looking to his master, "Where to? There must have been a reason if you summoned me."

"Yes, there is," Sakura replied as the two walked. "I'll explain as we go, but the first place I'd like to go . . ."

"Yeah?"

Sakura thought for only a moment, then she approved herself before she spoke. "I'd like to go to our village master, the Hokage. I want to let him know what's happening."

Naruto smiled; there wasn't any idea of objection in his mind. "Alright then. Let's go!"

X x x x x

Goodness . . . 11 reviews! And for the first chapter! I'm amazed. –Hugs everyone- Thanks so much. I'm trying to make the chapters long since I know there are a lot of summons (characters! –heart-) to be discovered on the journey to defeat Orochimaru. What will be Sakura's next summon? XD

Anyways, I hope people enjoyed this chapter. I didn't really edit it, or if I did it was pretty lazily . . . if there'a any mistakes you catch while reading, please tell me! Oh, and of course please tell me if you like this overall . . . I decided to let Naruto and Sakura get along! XD

xcom1b- Thank you! I'm glad you like the ways the characters are portrayed in this story. I'm going to have fun making their 'Summoning abilities'. XD

sky- Nice to meet you Sky! Hee, I'm very happy you liked it. I loved Sakura too! She's just adorable. XD I guess that's why she's always the main character in all of my fanfics. XD lol!

Jp- Maybe. XD Already, requests for couplings! This should be fun. XD Then again, they do make the cutest coupling in fanfics, don't they?

krn-kimbap- Wow, another coupling request. I wonder! I want to include plenty of romantice situations in this story, thouh they'll be more cute than sexual. XD That way everyone will be on the edge of their seats, being like, "Just kiss her already!" or something. Lol! I'm not sure on any pairing, but so far it's pretty obvious Naruto and Sakura have some sort of connection, don't they? –Hugs- I'm happy you read this!

Search and Seek and Destroy- Yes! XD I'm trying not to make this story too perverted, though. Like I said to krn-kimbap, I want to make plenty of romance, just cuteness romance. And the pairing is undecided, but there will be lots of interactions between Sakura and her Summons, especially Naruto since he's the first. XD

HikaruOfDreams- Of course! I'll try my best. I'm glad you like it so much!

Sailor Comet- Wow, thanks so much! I love fantasy journey-type things too; they're always so much fun! One of my other fanfics is also a journey story. 39 chapters in it so far! O.o Crazy. Lol!

electronicgamer3- Well, here it is! I hope that this isn't too slow of an update. XD I've just got absolutely no planning for this story other than the basic plot and the summons, plus I'm writing longer chapters than I usually do. XD

Suzuno Oosugi- Glad you like it! –Hugs- I will try my best to continue this story; promise! XD I'm going to put a lot of potential pairings, but judging by so many requests and the fact that he's the first summon, Naruto x Sakura could be the main pairing. XD Maybe!

QueenOfTheShadowFangs- Yes! I'm gonna try my hardest to keep the personality and basic feelings towards other characters the same as in the anime. But ramen . . . I wonder if Naruto like ramen in this. XD I don't even know myself. Lol!


	3. Konohamaru, the Hokage's Grandson

**Chapter Three**

**Konohamaru, the Hokage's Grandson**

"This woods is really long, Master," Naruto said as he looked around. From left to right, all he could see was the great forest. However, he didn't mind that they were walking along it, even if his voice sounded like he was bored; the woods actually made him feel very comfortable.

Sakura, who was walking alongside her Summon, frowned a little disappointedly. "I asked you not to call me Master . . . it makes me uncomfortable."

"What for?" Naruto asked, shrugging. He only looked in her direction for a second for staring upwards, where a sky would have normally been had there not been so many long branches in the way to cover it up. It wasn't enough to shroud the couple in darkness, but it did make for plenty of shade. "You really are my master, so . . ."

"I'm not so sure," she replied with an awkward smile, pulling a bit of her hair away from her face and placing it behind her ear. "I just don't feel the authority I'm supposed to feel, I guess . . ."

Naruto did not answer, but instead nodded knowingly and went back to looking out at the woods. As he watched the small life hustle around among the ground, not daring to go near the two of them, he could sense the strong presence of magic. His senses were still a little rusty, he supposed, and there was also the fact that both Tsunade and her home had been marinated in the same kind of presence, but still . . .

'_Now everything seems to have magic,' _he thought, closing his eyes peacefully and linking his fingers behind his neck. He took a deep breath, relishing in the sort of calmness that evolved around him. _'From what I remember from before, everything was so dead . . . Now it's all so . . .'_

"Sakura," Naruto began, for the first time using her name. He immediately caught her attention with it, and she smiled faintly as if pleased by it. "What is this Hokage like? Why is he the village master?"

Sakura looked up to the branches abruptly as if in deep thought, the available hand not holding her traveling bag tapping on her tiny lips. Not many people had actually known the Hokage personally, although everyone had seen him. She, however, was the former apprentice to a legacy and had talked to him on several occasions. She felt lucky she had; otherwise, she wouldn't have had much to say.

"Well," she started weakly, forming her words together in her head. Just for a moment she stopped walking, but as she put her focus back on the world around her and noticed Naruto had continued on, she caught up with his strides. It was than that she answered his question.

"The Hokage is a great man who has always protected our village from danger. There have been only a few Hokage's, but many believe that he is the greatest." She smiled widely. "And he's even a Summoner, like Master and me! But he has sealed most of his away for another time or given them to worthy apprentices."

"Most of them?" Naruto inquired. Sakura nodded.

"The only Summon he has left in the open now is the one whom he considers his grandson, Konohamaru. Believe it or not, he's only a duckling, not something great and strong like one would expect." Sakura's smile grew wider, and she squealed girlishly as her cheeks flushed. "And he's the _cutest _thing!"

Naruto looked over to his master skeptically, wondering if all girls acted this way when they saw something they adored. But as he watched her, his own cheeks started to burn with a slight tint of pink, and he was grateful that the shadows of the branches above had hid them from Sakura. He didn't mind her being so happy in the least, as strange as he thought it was.

As they reached the edge of the forest, the two were suddenly embraced with a whole new setting, one that left Naruto stunned. It was what Sakura had talked about, the village that the Hokage was supposed to protect. People, small and tall ones alike ran about the road, some playing childrens' games and kicking up the dirt on the street while others were shopping at the various markets stands selling fruits, chatting with the owners happily.

The homes, stores, and an Inn that Naruto had spotted in the corner were all built out of wood from the forest, and somehow they literally seemed to glow with the magic within the bark. Seeing so many people like he had never seen it before made him feel a bit like a wound up child, and he grinned and darted out in the center of the street.

"This is great!" Naruto shouted out loud, earning some strange stares though it seemed like he didn't notice. He threw his fists in the air, spinning around a bit and dizzying himself just to take a look at everything in view. Sakura ran to him, a little embarrassed, but as soon as she tried to straighten him out he grabbed her hands and spun her around along with him. "Sakura, this is my first time in a real village!"

"Calm down, Naruto!" she demanded, though she was giggling a little herself. Still, under order of his master he did stop, just only slightly holding onto her fingers like he did not want to let go. Things seemed to rattle and double right before his eyes, particularly Sakura's face, but he tried his best to keep his balance. Still, he couldn't wipe the grin off his face.

"I didn't think I'd get so excited," he told her, looking around in a much less noticeable manner now that he could see much better. It hadn't stopped others who had already witnessed him to stop staring, however. "I just . . . I saw how alive everything was, just like how the forest was alive with magic and I just . . ."

Sakura already seemed to understand. She squeezed both of his hands affectionately, her face beaming much like his. "I see! Seeing something so different than what you're used too . . . it must be amazing! Especially after being sealed inside of that scroll for so long. Though I don't think anyone was as energetic as you."

For a moment that grin on Naruto's face dulled at the mention of the scroll, and Sakura tilted her head a bit, an almost regretful expression on her. But she wasn't questioning in the least; she knew that it must have been a lonely and terrible place within that scroll, since it was the prison for the Fox Demon. Her master wouldn't have put him in a paradise.

Sakura slowly let go on Naruto's hands, turning around to look for her traveling bag. She had carelessly dropped it when she was running towards Naruto, and she had hoped that none of her belongings had fallen out of it and gotten dirty. But as she looked around, her eyes came upon a small, brown haired child, his tiny fingers tugging on the strings of her bag to drag it in her direction. Her heart soared.

"Konohamaru!" she said, skipping over in the little boy's direction. As soon as his dark eyes met hers he let go of her bag, grunting and pouting a little as she effortlessly picked up and slumped it over her shoulder. She kneeled down, an index finger poking at the young boy's nose. She giggled. "It's been a while since I've seen you out in the village like this."

Konohamaru didn't seem to enjoy the child-like attention he was getting, but as he took in Sakura's pleased smile a warm, cheery feeling filled his chest. He held out a hand and she took it, standing up again.

"Gramps doesn't know I'm down here," he said, speaking as though he were an important figure. The two walked over towards Naruto, who was already out of his sad stage and looking down curiously at Konohamaru. The child, however, did not seem to wonder who Naruto was in the least and kept talking. "He said he felt something dangerous and sent down some people to check it out, but I'm here investigating on my own!"

The older two glanced at each other, both having a sneaking suspicion as to what the Hokage was sensing. It might have been many things; he might have noticed Tsunade's death, or even the summoning of the Demon Fox. It could have been both. But Sakura knew something that Naruto didn't, and it was the one thing above all that stood out for her. _'Orochimaru . . .'_

"Konohamaru," Sakura said softly, kneeling down by the boy's side once again so that they were eye level. "Could you please take us to the Hokage? I need to speak with him . . . it's important."

Konohamaru's eyes lit up with enthusiasm and he beamed. "Sakura! You know what's going on, don't you?"

"Well . . ."

"Come on, say it!"

"_Hey_!" Naruto suddenly said harshly, bopping the young child on the top of his head with a fist. Konohamaru let go of Sakura's hand and felt the top of his skull, flinching but staring defiantly at the one who assaulted him. Naruto, though, was showing no remorse; his face looked just as irritated as he crossed his arms and looked downwards. "Don't bother Sakura."

"But I _wasn't_!" Konohamaru complained, little tears forming in his eyes though he tried his best to hide it. "I just wanted to know what was happening . . ."

"It's alright," Sakura said, patting Konohamaru's back as a way of comforting him. She turned her face and frowned at Naruto, who looked back at her in disbelief. He honestly thought he was doing something right! Wasn't she bothered by him nagging her? "Naruto, he's only a child!"

As much as he wanted to argue his point, a tug at his heartstrings kept Naruto silent. He wasn't exactly sure if it was him who was feeling so ashamed all of a sudden, or if it was the fact that it was his master who scolded him. After all, from as far as he could remember in his past, which was vague, he didn't have a master before.

But as he looked down at the little boy who was getting all the attention in the world from Sakura, he immediately turned his nose to the sky. _'All I know is that kid is a brat!'_

"Konohamaru," Sakura started, lightly kissing his forehead to try and make him feel better. She concentrated her best just as she had been taught, and when she breathed ever so slightly, an essence of magic seemed to swirl like pixie dust. In a flash the boy was well again, as if he was never hurt in the first place. She stood again next to Naruto, giving Konohamaru her most thoughtful smile. "_Now_ could you take us to Hokage?"

Without a second thought he nodded again and again, reaching out for her hand. "Yeah, yeah!"

The home where the Hokage, Konohamaru's master or 'Grandfather' lived was within a long, winded path just like Tsunade's home was. The main village where the three had just been was where travelers or residents stayed, while places of importance were disguised among the forest.

"Be careful," Konohamaru warned, holding up an index finger informatively, "Gramps has guards all over the forest, so they might try and ambush us if we're not careful."

"Don't worry!" Sakura said, giving a big sister smile. "I have Naruto with me, and you too. Both great Summons that are here to protect me!"

Konohamaru suddenly seemed to gain interest in the other boy for the first time as he turned his face to look at him in wonder. Naruto was behind the other two, his face twisted into a jealous pout. _'He's a Summon like me? I couldn't tell . . . He must be really powerful to hide it like that!'_

For the first time Konohamaru willingly let go of Sakura's hand to run by Naruto's side, his face full of questions. Naruto glanced over to his master, wondering what he should exactly do or say, but Konohamaru answered for him. "So, what kind of Summon are you? I'm a duck!"

Naruto grinned, and it seemed like the two finally found a common interest in each other. He stopped walking, placing one hand on his hip and the other with his thumb pointing to himself as if he were an important figure. Then he boasted loudly, proudly, "Who, me? I'm the great De-"

"Naruto, stop!" Sakura commanded harshly, and he shut his mouth. When she saw the look on his face, as if she was telling him to stop because it wasn't important, she felt terrible. Quickly she came up with an explanation for both boys, her face flushed with both embarrassment and shame. "Um . . . you see, Naruto's Summon is a really big secret right now . . ."

Konohamaru looked like he didn't care at all about that; now he wanted to know even more. "Come on! I won't tell!"

She laughed it off just a bit, then turned around to continue walking, glancing back to see if the two boys followed her. She frowned, still not exactly feeling settled with her excuse. _'I'm sorry, Naruto . . . But if Konohamaru found out you were the Fox Demon, it would surely cause trouble. We have to let the Hokage know before anyone else.'_

Sakura paused her movement as she heard a quick rustling from the woods to her left, but when she looked, there was nothing there. She took a cautious step towards her focus, narrowing her eyes and looking hard for anything in the least bit suspicious. Still, even though there was no physical presence, the hairs on the back of her neck prickled. _'Strange . . .' _

Only after she was sure that there was nothing that was going to attack her did she step forward, but just then from the corner of her eye she caught the glint of something dart out from the darkness, nearly making her heart stop. Before she could even see what it was she shut her eyes and two hands clamped on her shoulders and pulled her back, barely missing the attacker. She could feel the tingle of something sharp that had brushed the bridge of her nose.

"Sakura, are you okay?" she heard, and when she looked up she saw that her savior was Naruto. He let her stand on her own, almost pushing her before she could answer as he rushed to the enemy.

Before them on the path to the Hokage was a large snake, with rough, coarse black skin and two piercing fangs that seemed to drool with a violet, liquid-like substance. It slid into a coil, holding its head up high above them and staring down at the three with startling eyes. Sakura looked into them, watching the swirling black windmill within the blood red pupil as if in a trance.

"How _dare_ you attack my master!" Naruto growled, his own Demon Fox teeth and claws jutting out. He bent his knees, a low growl erupting from him before he charged, jumping high to directly swipe at the top of the skull of the snake.

His sharp fingernails cut right underneath its eye, making a long, thin slit that started to bleed as soon as the wound was opened, and the snake hissed loudly before diving at his enemy. Dirt flew into the air and Sakura shut her eyes, going down on her knees and pulling Konohamaru into a tight hug to try and protect him from the noisy scuffle. Seeing nothing, she could only hear loud growls and screeches.

"Sasuke, _stop_!" she heard an unfamiliar voice shout, and she felt Konohamaru's tense body calm. She peeked an eye open to see if the dirt had cleared, and while it hadn't completely gone away she deemed it safe enough. She let go of her tight grip on Konohamaru and stood. The first thing she saw was Naruto lying flat on his back, the snake's giant head pressing him down and the fangs trying to poke through the clothing at his chest.

"Naruto!" Sakura said worryingly, though she stayed in her place so as not to alert to predator. Another rustle in the woods caught her attention and Sakura looked over, as well as the snake and Naruto to see a man had walked out from behind a tree.

He was much taller than herself or any of her companions, with seemingly all-over-the-place silver hair, but not quite as out of place of Naruto's. While a mask that covered even down underneath his top covered most of his face, one of his lazy, coal eyes was visible. He was staring right at the snake, which ignored its battled to stare back.

"Sasuke, I warned you against going out like that. Look." The man's face looked harsh, as if he were scolding the snake as he pointed to Konohamaru. The young boy, even if his grip was loosened, was still shaking and his arms were still securely wrapped around one of Sakura's legs. "The Hokage's grandson is right there. What if you hit him?"

For a moment the eyes of the snake seemed to narrow as if in contemplation, then Sakura watched in amazement as the creature shrank, growing thin, pale arms and legs and a head of black hair. It was another boy, and she suddenly put to and two together as she looked between him and the silver haired man. _'This snake . . . it's this man's Summon! He's a Summoner!'_

The snake, whose more human-like body was sitting on the ground next to Naruto panting, rubbed the blood from a long, thin cut off of his cheek and spat on the ground. He looked in the direction of the Fox Demon and glowered, standing up to walk next to his master. His black eyes, no longer the possessing the strange, mysterious swirl from before, were still utterly dark and attractive. "Sorry, Master."

That confirmed it for Sakura, and instead of being scared she was now in awe. Summoners, after all, were rare people since it took so many years of dedication and work, and she was already face to face with one like herself! Looking between the both of them, her cheeks blushed heavily. _'They're both so handsome . . .'_

"Geez," Naruto said, finally sitting up and patting his chest to see if there were any wounds. He looked fiercely at the snake called Sasuke, his incisors still sticking out from his battle. "You could've killed me with those fangs of yours! I can practically still feel them jabbing me . . ."

Sasuke scoffed, acting as if it were nothing. He put one hand on his hip, balancing all his weight on one foot and looking down at Naruto the same authoritative way he had as a snake. "Why not get better so that won't happen next time? You're so weak."

"I'm _not_ weak!" Naruto retorted, hopping up and sliding in front of Sakura and Konohamaru, holding out his arms widespread to protect them. "I-I'm just new at this, that's all!"

"Both of you, calm down," said the man, holding up both of his hands and laughing nervously to lighten the mood. This had quickly let down the guard of both boys, as well as Sakura. Here, he didn't look the least bit fierce, but Sakura also had a uneasy notion that the commanding power he had before was still hidden somewhere. "That's going to get us nowhere."

"I-I agree," Sakura said, nodding. As she willed herself to take a step Konohamaru let go of her leg, and instead she took his hand again and walked around Naruto. The silver haired man also did the same with his Summon, letting the both of them stand face to face. Once again, his immensely tall figure intimidated her. She didn't like having to look straight up at someone.

"Young lady," he began, glimpsing past her to see Naruto then going back to her, "Is that your Summon right there? The Fox Demon?"

Everyone reacted to his words, including his own Summon. Sakura felt her heart begin to pump, and she gulped as she succumbed to the pressure she was feeling and averted her eyes. _'He knows . . . he knows who Naruto is! But how? What's going to happen . . .?'_

"Kakashi," Konohamaru said, beginning in a quiet voice then speaking up. Somehow he already knew the man. "Naruto is _the_ Fox Demon?"

The man called Kakashi simply smiled at the boy, not exactly answering his question the way he wanted it to be answered. "Naruto, huh? Interesting name for an interesting Summon."

X x x x x

Whoo! Finally, a new chapter of this story . . . Gosh, they're so long that it usually takes me a few hours to write it. Well, not especially long, I guess, but longer chapters than the ones I'm used to.

So, here we've introduced . . . Summon Konohamaru (Ducky! XD), Summoner Kakashi (-loves-) and his Summon, Sasuke! (Snake!) I know some things are a little different (Such as Konohamaru's relationship with both Sakura and Naruto), but I think I'm pretty pleased with how this chapter has gone. Naruto and Sakura are starting to turn into their more typical characters too, like the ones in the anime. At least, that's how I feel. I hope:D

And I hope you liked it too! ) By the way, does anyone have any special questions they'd like me to answer? XD I feel talkative. Ask here, or IM me or something! XD

maxhrk- Thank you very much! I hope this lives up to the last two chapters . . )

Smiter- Oooh, thank you very much! My story is original? Gosh, I feel honored. :D I like the idea of NaruSaku too . . . I wonder if that's what it'll be? XD I have no idea myself!

Sky- No, no offense at all! I'm happy that you like my story this much . . . I love Sakura too! –Hugs- she's so adorable . . . my favorite female character in Naruto!

Suzuno Oosugi- Heeeyoo! –Hugs- You were right! The next Summon _was_ Sasuke, only he belongs to Kakashi. XD Alright!

DFIRE314- Uwaaah . . . thank you so much! I hope this story continues to stay original as you've said (thank you!) and I also hope that you will keep reading it with enthusiasm. :D

Ewz- Wow . . . really? Thanks! I thought I was having trouble with character development, but this really makes me feel better about it!

HikaruOfDreams- Thank you so much! I hope you continue to read this story and enjoy it!

Sasuke's Cherry BLossom Angel- lol, that's alright! I'm very happy you review- it doesn't matter how long! Wow, I think you're the first person to request SasuSaku. I'm still not sure if there's going to be any serious romance, so there isn't any rushing at all! XD

Sailor Comet- lol! I hope that someday I'll be able to keep up with this story long enough to properly explain everything, but right now it's just in the beginning. XD lol, yes! I think doing this story has made me grown attatched to the term 'Master'. And boy, I would do _anything_ to have Sasuke called me Master . . . XD lol!

Col- OMGosh! Final Fantasy proportion? I don't think I could ever live up to the legacy! XD But now that you mention it, the idea of Summons sounds like Aeons from Final Fantasy X . . . Ack! I didn't even do that on purpose!

Karura-Chan- Thank you very much:D I'm updating it right now. XD


	4. The Scroll Summoner

**Chapter Four**

**The Scroll Summoner**

". . . and so you see," Sakura finished, still looking towards her new objective. "That's why I'm going to see the Hokage. I have to learn more about who I'm going to find, this . . . . Orochimaru, _and_ let him know what happened as well."

Both Summoners, Sakura and Kakashi, had easily decided to call it quits when they had realized that neither of them were enemies of one another. When the young lady among the boys questioned who he was, Konohamaru quickly explained, saying that Kakashi was none other than one of the men he had mentioned earlier that were looking for trouble; and one of the strongest at that.

But while their masters had said truce the two Summons themselves still looked to be in their own little feud. They stood by their masters protectively, as far away from one another as possible. It was almost amusing to watch their expressions; whenever they both just happened to peek over at the same and their eyes met, they would immediately turn away and puff out their cheeks, crossing their arms defiantly.

'_Almost like children,' _ Sakura thought, finding it more entertaining than anything. At the moment, Naruto carried her bag while she carried Konohamaru, who was balancing on her hip with his small arms wrapped around her neck. He was a little heavy, but she didn't mind in the least. _'He's just so adorable!'_

"Ah," Kakashi said, stopping just for a moment and looking up, his single eye wandering just a bit. He was the only one after the pause that continued to walk forward towards a tall, wide gate that spread into the forest at both of their sides. All of them had to crane their necks to see to the top, and as soon as they did they came across a man leaning over the edge. "Asuma."

Asuma, a middle-aged man with a healthy brown eyes and a dark beard, grinned as he saw his ally. A small toothpick in his mouth bobbed around as he opened his mouth to speak, revealing perfect, pearly white teeth that could even be seen from as far as the party was. "Kakashi! You've come back! And Sasuke, too."

"That's right," the Summoner had replied, his expression equally cheeky. He patted the shoulder of his Summon, who only had a scowled expression in return to the man above them. Asuma seemed to completely ignore it. "Not only that, but he have a few guests. Tsunade's apprentice has made it back with our Konohamaru."

"Oh?" Asuma looked down curiously at the young lady. He had never seen the apprentice to the great Tsunade, one of the legendary three heroes, but his first thought was of her great presence. She looked like an ordinary young girl to those without the skill to see it, but he could already tell that she was different. _'Her eyes . . . they have the spirit of a true Summoner.'_

Kakashi nodded in reply, though he was sure Asuma had caught on. The two were close friends as top guards, even if Asuma himself wasn't a Summoner. He smirked as he remembered one last detail, one he knew every soul within the gates would find interesting. "Also, we have her Summon . . . The Fox Demon."

Naruto glanced over to Sakura, rubbing the back of his rather sore neck from staring up a bit too long. The first thing he noticed about her was her strained expression from hearing Kakashi's words, and his heart sank. He averted his eyes and looked out towards the woods at his side, unexpectedly feeling down.

'_I don't know what I did,' _he thought, his face forming a small, pout-like frown. _'But it makes everyone walk on eggshells around me. Master . . . Sakura looks like she has a hard time every time someone mentions me.'_

Honestly, all Naruto could remember was his imprisonment within the scroll and the very person who had put him in there in the first place, Tsunade. He didn't know what he did to deserve such punishment, nor did he know why he already had the impression that he had left some sort of scar in the people around him. _'Still . . .'_

As he looked back to his master, Naruto also started to notice the small beads of sweat that dripped along her cheeks, and her breathing had become a little heavy as well. Konohamaru's weight against her along with the heat from the sun above them looked like it was starting to take its toll. Seeing her like this, though it wasn't much at all, irritated him.

"_Hey_!" Naruto shouted, gaining attention from everyone as he pointed up at Asuma with a finger. "Come on, hurry up and let us in! Sakura's getting tired!"

"Naruto," Sakura said in a slightly scolding voice for interrupting, though she also had a small smile. She was happy that he cared. "Let Kakashi and Asuma ta-"

"No," Kakashi said. He raised a hand up as a sort of salute to Asuma and, as if it were a command, the man disappeared underneath the stone tablet gate, down on what Sakura could only assume was a latter. They all waited together until there was a sound of a strong '_click!_' and the giant, wooden square gate before them parted in two.

"Finally," Sasuke had said after not speaking for so long. It looked like he spoke more to himself than any of his company around him, but he had still caught the attention of both his master and the young female Summoner. "I want to go rest."

'_Summons need rest?' _Sakura thought as they began to walk in, meeting Asuma in person on the other side of the gate. As soon as she thought of the questions she felt a little stupid. All that training and she didn't know that one, basic thing. _'Then again . . . I really learned more about the magic build-up to become a Summoner more than being a Summoner itself . . .'_

The moment all of them had stepped through and Sakura had brought herself out of her thoughts, she smiled at the wonderful greeting before her. She had been to the Hokage's home several times, a large, enchanted palace that was carved completely of a pearly white marble and glowed in the sun. There were many floors that stood high within the barrier and tall spirals pierced through the sky. Even more, within everyone's reach there were courtyards, gardens and practice rooms for Summoners and those who practiced magic.

Kakashi walked ahead of Sakura, Konohamaru and Naruto, Sasuke coming to his side as well while they all followed Asuma. There was literally no door to walk inside of the palace, as the Hokage preferred open spaces with plenty of light and many windows. Instead there was a wide, open corridor with a floor that clearly reflected those that walked upon it and mirrors trimmed with roses all the way down. Holes at the top of the ceiling were filled with colorful glass so that when light shown through, brilliant, bright patterns painted themselves on the bottom. In a single word, it was magnificent, perhaps inviting.

Sakura watched Konohamaru, who seemed to stare down at the patterns with wonder and giggled. She knew that if he lived here everyday and still couldn't find anything dull about the wonders of his Grandfather's palace, then someone like her, who had only been there three times at the most could never start to find anything wrong.

Asuma bid them farewell once they reached a ling, spiraling flight of stairs, saying he had to keep on the lookout for the rest of the investigators. Sakura wasn't paying any attention to them at all, too entranced with the architecture around her, but she vaguely listened to Kakashi tell him of what had been going on. It seemed he knew everything, including why she had to see Hokage.

"Sakura," Naruto said, his voice seeming far away and his head twisted in many directions. He made sure to keep balance while they walked up the stairs, but he had almost tripped when he swung around a little too quickly. "Are these the kinds of places humans really make?"

The young Summoner smiled, very glad that Naruto appreciated such a place like this. Somehow, with the way he stared and admired everything around him, it almost convinced her that he wasn't what people had made him out to be. Though even before she had thought that.

"Yes . . ." she replied slowly, and as she did she noticed Konohamaru laying his head against her chest, his eyes closing and his breaths becoming small and even. Now things just seemed well. "This is what people can make."

When they had reached the top, they came across another large, great hallway, only this one was more wide than long. To the right and to the left were more thin, narrow foyers, but just before them were two tall doors that, when put together, made a large semi-circle sort of shape. Kakashi gave that same salute he had given to Asuma earlier to Sakura.

"This is where the Hokage is," he said, giving her and Naruto a sweet grin from underneath the covering. He also reached out his arms and for a moment Sakura wasn't sure why. When he pointed towards Konohamaru, she obeyed and handed the young child to him, who immediately cradled in the older man's arms. "I'll take Konohamaru to his room. You speak to the Hokage and tell him everything. He will let you know what to do."

Sakura put her hands to her lap and bowed down low, closing her eyes as her hair fell to her face. Already in such a short time had she found someone great to admire, a more experienced Summoner who had such a powerful presence and feel to him. She had truly hoped this wouldn't be that last she met him and his Summon. "Thank you very much, Kakashi, Sasuke."

But instead of taking her up on her thanks, he lifted her by the shoulder with his available hand, making her look up at him in confusion.

"Now, now," he said, in almost a taunting manner. "We are both Summoners. Whether you think so or not, that puts us on equal ground."

With that he turned around to walk down one of the two corridors that provided for him. Sasuke, who had only stayed for a while longer, gave a rather confident smirk towards Naruto before turning away himself to go with his master, which made the Fox Demon growl in contempt. As soon as Sakura threw him a harsh look to behave himself, however, he calmed down and looked to the doors.

"Let's go Naruto," she said, a soft smile on her face. "It's time to meet the Hokage."

Naruto approved, giving her a serious expression in return before he pressed against the two doors for Sakura, giving off a low, echoing creak. At first Sakura gulped in anticipation, suddenly realizing where she was; she _had _met the Hokage before. She had to keep reminding herself that, but at the same time . . . _'Now that I have to admit it . . . It was Master that always spoke to him. I never had any real personal confrontation with him before.'_

The moment they stepped in the room they came across a large, circular room, decorated much like how the hallways had been with the exception of a giant, clear, oval ceiling in which light shone through. As the two young people stepped forth, they came upon an elderly, wrinkling man with heavy scars on his face and a single mole sitting behind an oak desk. He looked up at them when the doors behind them closed, and already he had greeted them with a smile.

"Well, if it isn't apprentice Sakura," The Hokage said, pressing his old, rather feeble looking hands onto the surface of his desk to stand up. Sakura, who hadn't expected such a warm welcome, was overjoyed and she hurried closer to him, Naruto watching and following her example. "It's been at least a year since I've last seen you. How you've grown."

"Yes, Sir," the young Summoner replied, utterly pleased. But as the old man's eyes began to wander towards the blond boy next to her, her face grew serious. She knew she had to get straight to the point so she could follow the orders of her former master as soon as possible. She needed to get started on her journey. "Hokage . . . I need to speak with you about an urgent matter."

"Is it about Tsunade's death?" he said, which surprised both her and Naruto. He waved a hand nonchalantly, as if it were no great deal. "Remember, I am the Hokage, Sakura. I am able to sense such matters the moment they have come. Her passing . . . was horrid news indeed. Especially for you, I'm sure."

The young girl's eyes narrowed as she looked to the ground, her nostalgic, upset frown returning. But still, she had to continue. "Yes . . . Yes, it did hurt. But that isn't what I'm here for. Please, tell me about Orochimaru. He's stolen a scroll and killed Master. I have to stop him at all costs!"

Hokage looked astounded by this news and he sat back down in his chair, his eyes wandering about the room in deep thought. At last, after looking like he was going through much contemplation, he spoke. "So, that was the dark sensation I had felt earlier . . . Orochimaru . . . Sakura."

"Yes?" she said, standing straight. She made sure to listen completely, her sights wholly on the man before her. "What is it?"

"I don't believe you have to worry about _who _Orochimaru is . . . but more of what he can do. If he has indeed stolen the scroll that I am thinking of, then we will have no mercy. Granted, he will need at least three years to complete his plan, but . . ."

"Sir, if I may ask," she began, catching the Hokage's attention. "This . . . this forbidden scroll . . . what's in it? Am I allowed to know?"

For a moment he had paused again, his eyes strained. He looked as if he was torn between answers, wondering if he should give her a proper response or not. Deep inside, though she would be fine with anything he gave her, she had hoped that he would comply with her request and let her know the contents. After all, she was going to pursue this mysterious, powerful enemy for the very item.

"The Forbidden scroll," he started, his voice slow, then it sped up as he continued, "Is a scroll of unimaginable power. It is a great Summon that gives a whole new, refreshed body, an everlasting being that is prophesized to have the power to take over every kingdom in the world."

"In the world?" Naruto repeated, sounding amazed. Finally he had decided to join in on the conversation as well. Before, when the talking was just between Sakura and the Hokage, he was still looking around and up to the sky like a young child. Although there were no words about it so far, Sakura was completely sure that the Hokage knew just what Naruto was: the Fox Demon.

With that interruption, the old man decided to trail on a different subject. He chuckled a little as if in an amused manner, arousing curiosity among the both of them. When the Summoner and her Summon had eyes that begged for answers, he gladly provided for them.

"If I remember right, Tsunade had sealed the Fox Demon in a scroll," he started, earning a nod from Sakura. His grin had grown wider, the wrinkles on his elderly face stretching with every word he spoke. "That must mean you're a Scroll Summoner . . . a powerful one, indeed, especially for one so young. Even _I _couldn't reach that potential until I was in my late twenties."

"Scroll Summoner?" both Naruto and Sakura said together, wondering just what he had meant. Of course, they both knew just what he was talking about, but at the same time . . . was there a difference between a Summon unlocked with a staff or a scroll? Sakura wondered. _'I suppose there is . . . I hadn't thought that way before.'_

The Hokage, who had many thick textbooks on his table, let his fingers ride over the spines of the tomes before pulling out one in particular; a thick, black one. It dropped onto the surface of his desk and without the use of his hands it turned itself to a certain page. On one side, there were many drawings of different staffs and scrolls, while on the other side there were words. He turned the book around and ushered the both of them closer, which they did.

"There is a great difference," he began, first pointing to the staffs. "Those who use staffs are ones who often use normal magic; it's the way it always has been, and while Summoners are rare among the populace, the majority of those carry staffs as well. You see, they are not what cause the process of Summoning, but rather . . . a magically infused weapon per se, a focus for those who have a difficult time harnessing their own power."

"I see," Sakura said, nodding. She looked to Naruto to see if he was paying attention, but frowned when she saw him looking off again. She had to keep in mind his short attention span -or at least his lack of love for learning- for the future. "So, 'Staff Summoners', as you would call the, I guess . . . they have power, but they have a difficult time using it without a medium?"

"That's exactly it. But Scroll Summoners . . ." his fingers pointed to the beginning of a paragraph, though he did not read it word for word. ". . . They are able to Summon and use magic as they please, even without a staff. They are usually much stronger than the average. You have great control over your magic, as well as great power. Still . . ."

"Still?" Sakura asked.

"Much of it is still dormant . . . In order to gain power along this journey of yours, enough to defeat Orochimaru and save the land by taking back the Forbidden scroll, you must unlock that power within you. Fight, find powerful Summons to fight alongside you, and learn great magics along the way. It is . . ."

She waited as he stopped, raising his hand and looking harshly in her eyes. "It is the only way you will be able to win."

As he snapped the book shut with a magical presence of his own he stood up, pointing over to the door. "I suggest you stay the night here, and begin your journey in the morning. I'm sure you're exhausted."

Hearing the words from before still ringing in her ears, that strong, powerful utterance, it took a moment for her to register the rest of what he had said. But once she had she nodded quickly, a heavy flush of embarrassment rising to her cheeks as she bid the Hokage farewell and turned to leave the room. As she had opened the doors and walked completely out, Naruto went in her direction as well, only stopping when he heard the Hokage speak again.

"Fox Demon," he said, his voice sounding strong but not harsh. Naruto listened intently. "Protect that girl . . . she was an apprentice of the legendary Tsunade, and something tells me she will become something much greater."

Without a second thought, Naruto grinned like a child. He held up a single hand, giving him a special thumbs up. "No worries here! I'll protect my master with my life, now and forever."

As the Summon left the room, the Hokage sat back down, heaving a long, heavy sigh. But after that, once he had recalled everything that had just happened in such a short time he smiled. _'What a great pair . . . we will certainly see justice.' _

X x x x x x

There we go:D Hope this was a worth it chapter. You know what I realized? That even though this story had the longest chapters, it's also one of the slowest moving stories I've ever written. Oddly enough, this makes me very proud. In fact, I don't think I've ever written a story with so much quality! And I'm not even planning it. XD How funny.

Tell me what you think guys! XD Asuma is so cool, he doesn't get enough credit in Naruto. :D And more Sasuke and Kakashi for sure next chapter!

maxhrk- Thanks:D Hope you enjoyed this chapter as well.

disama- Yes! I hope to you from your reviews again!

QueenOfTheShadowFangs- lol! XD Your randomness is so funny . . . Hmmm . . . I'm not sure how much of a role Kakashi will play, but . . . I'll try my best to put him in a lot:D

starry096- Thanks a lot!

Nocterayne- Wow, thanks so much:D I'll try and check ot that fic sometime. And believe it ro not, I don't think I'm going to be adding a huge ammount of Kakashi in this story. XD It's s a journey story, so I'm still debating on whether ot not Kakashi will join the ranks or not with her party. XD We'll just have to see!

Aeeeeee- Thanks:D I hope you enjoy this chapter too!

Search and Seek and Destroy- Ack! XD I meant he was new at the whole 'being a Summon' thing, not at fighting. Sorry! And there definitely wont be Yaoi . . . I'm not sure if there;ll be any serious romance in it, though lots are begging for it. XD lol, who knows!

Suzuno Oosugi- :D Oooh, yes! Naruto has a cute crush, or a sort of protective thing. XD And there will be plenty of Summons in the future, and I'm going to have fun with how they appear . . . hopefully a new one will come within the next few chapters sometime! XD

DFIRE314- :D Thank you so much! Yes, Naruto does have a hidden power, but Sasuke does as well, so they're destined to be rivals in this story, among many others. I'm hoping to add more of Sasuke in the future to show his sides and story like Naruto soon. XD

Ack! A manga of my own? I would love to someday! XD I've always wnted to make a manga . . . Ha! It could be a sort of Doujinshi. XD lol, just playing!

Omegamoon02- Thank you very much:D Actually, I'm still not sure whether or not I'll be using much romance in this story. While there's destined to be some, of course, I don't know if it will have much focus on the story. A lot of people are requesting some fun pairings, though! XD

Karura-Chan- lol:D Who knows, it might just turn out Naruto x Sakura, if people keep asking for it. XD It seems to be the most popular pairing so far. This is fun, seeig everyone's requests:D I need to play FFX again . . . it's been like, two years! –Runs off to her PS2-

krn-kimbap- Ack! I still haven't decided anything on Itachi . . . what should I do? XD Make him a Weasel summon? Since his name means weasel . . . or make him a Summoner? I dunno! XD lol!

Sailor Comet- Hee hee, at first Konohamaru wasn't going to play any role in the story, but people seem to adore him so much I might have to bring him back . . . actually, I'm starting to adore him so much! XD I've always loved Konohamaru! And duckies. XD lol!

ghst.sama- Yeay for favorites! XD Thank you very much for the kind words!


	5. The Staff in the North

**Chapter Five**

**The Staff in the North**

"Master," Sasuke began, placing his arms behind his head and leaning his body against the bed, his back arching as he stretched his muscles. "What do you think of that Summoner? It's hard for me to believe a girl like that is one. She seems weak."

There was a rather large, all white room that both the Summon and his master shared together, each with their own bed and dresser. It was a wide enough for them to have their own personal space, so neither one felt closed in. Kakashi wouldn't have minded either way; however, he knew as well as anyone else who had met Sasuke that he did not like being in closed spaces.

Kakashi wasn't lying in his bed to rest, even though it was a little past mid day and the sky was beginning to fade from its bright color. He was one who barely ever slept and enjoyed the peaceful layout nighttime had to offer outside while still managing his daily duties as a guard for the Hokage. He was sitting in a chair by one of many tall, golden outlined windows, eating an already half-bitten apple and watching the people outside below him. All of them were magic users, practicing to try and become stronger.

"You're too stereotypical, Sasuke," Kakashi replied bluntly, taking another bite out of the delicious fruit. The Summon stayed still and stared up at the ceiling, loyally listening to the words of advice he knew that were coming. "Both men _and_ women can become great Summoners. I don't think anyone that has ever lived was greater than Tsunade, and she was a woman."

"I see . . . I'll think about that some more then."

"But," Kakashi finished off his apple before dropping what remained of it on the windowsill carelessly, "You are partially right about one thing: She's _not _too strong yet. But if you sensed things right, she has extreme potential, much like her master. She must have been taught many things to bring her up for this moment instead of jumping right into the art of Summoning."

"I think we're better," Sasuke spat conceitedly, not wanting to admit that his master was right that time. He didn't mind the fact that Sakura was going to be a strong Summoner, but more than that he didn't want to say_ Naruto_ was stronger than him. _'He could barely even keep up with my attacks . . .'_

Hearing his master call his name instantly snapped him out of his drifting thoughts, and just then he had noticed that he was almost ready to doze off. He was a very strong Summon, but in truth he lacked the stamina to keep it up for a long period of time, so he slept often. Still, he would never miss an opportunity to listen since it could be important.

"I'm going to suggest something to the Hokage in the morning," Kakashi said. He stood up out of his chair, making Sasuke sit up a little to listen a little better before his master had waved a hand that said he needed the rest. "I don't think she should start pursuing her enemy so soon, especially with no basic training on the actual art of Summoning."

Sasuke scoffed as he finally gave in and shut his eyes. "Tch. What did her master do with her all these years then?"

"Not the right training to prepare her for what she's about to do. I'd like to teach her the proper fundamentals to actually be able to present herself. And, of course . . ." Kakashi gave his Summon a smile that seemed to beg for a favor. ". . . I'd like you to help me with it."

There wasn't any doubt in his mind. Even if he didn't have to obey the orders of his master, Sasuke was devoted to doing any sort of errand or help Kakashi needed. He smirked, suddenly feeling too heavy and tired to answer. Kakashi seemed to understand and turned to leave the room just as his Summon dozed off to sleep.

Dark fell quickly, and as if on command the people around the Hokage's home piled in within their bedrooms and got ready for a long nights' rest. Some, however, were just waking up, preparing themselves to keep guard as they had been told to do. This normally would not have been the case, but Orochimaru's flickering presence had put the people on alert.

Sakura had long lied down in the bed of her guest room, which seemed much smaller than anything she had expected in comparison to the entire palace. Still, she hadn't minded in the least; living for so long in a small, cramped room filled with books on magic and Summoning had left her able to easily adapt to her small surroundings, so she was fine.

What she was uncomfortable with, however, was the fact that her Summon was so spread out in their bed. Since there was only one and neither of them were modest or had dirty minds they decided to stay together, but had Sakura knew that Naruto would move around so much so she had to lie against the edge she would have objected.

A sudden hand pushing against her cheek and a loud rustling of the covers being pulled away had made her open her eyes. A low, annoyed moan escaped from her but she refused to move from her place, trying her best to cope with the situation.

'_I will have to deal with this every day from now on,' _she thought, mentally scolding herself. _'If I can't handle the first night, then I'm not fit to be a Summoner.'_

But when she felt Naruto's leg –or maybe an elbow, since she wasn't looking- jab her back so much she fell right off the side of the bed and onto the cold floor her anger flared. Pushing herself upright and leaning overtop the bed, she glared at the peacefully sleeping Naruto and pulled the covers he was cuddling with right away from him.

"Naruto!" she shouted harshly in his ear, making the Fox Demon jolt awake. As she went to sit herself on top of the mattress he also sat up, his small fingers massaging his ear. At first he looked a little irritated well, but seeing his master's face instantly turned it into a frown.

"What did I do, Sakura?" he asked almost too innocently. The softness of his voice took the young Summoner aback; she was almost starting to rethink whatever she was trying to say.

'_But then,' _she thought, her lips forming that same scowl again, _'I would have to deal with it again and again! That isn't going to happen.'_

As she tried to form the words she wanted to say, this time wanting to use a less angry voice, she sighed. Then she began. "Naruto, we really have to work on your sleeping habits, or else I won't be able to sleep at all."

Instead of understanding he gave her a rather confused expression. "Is it that bad?"

"Yes, it is," she replied. "And if I can't sleep then this journey won't be a pleasant one. Especially since it's already supposed to be serious."

That time Naruto nodded, but she wasn't sure he comprehended the underlying message to what she said. Still, his smile was a relief to her somehow, and something told her that just saying that alone would help him obey even in his sleep.

As they laid their heads down, this time Naruto personally making sure she had enough space and plenty of covers, Sakura smiled softly and easily drifted into a peaceful sleep. This was her first time resting since everything had happened, but she felt at ease. The last thing she saw before closing her eyes were those sweet blue eyes, and they made her believe in what she was thinking for sure.

'_Everything will be okay . . .'_

_-_

Kakashi stood confidently before the Hokage's desk as the old man contemplated, his thin, wrinkled fingers around his chin and his head lowered. On his desk were still the many books that had been there when Sakura and Naruto were in the room the day before, but there was also a thin paper with scribbling, rushed handwriting on it.

"Well?" Kakashi said, crossing his arms and balancing his weight on one foot as he waited. He had just discussed his idea, one he had been contemplating the entire night. While the Summoner had always been a patient man, ready and willing to go at other's pace, he was eager to find if his plan had any merit to it.

"It does seem to work in her favor," the Hokage replied, his voice still sounding pensive yet positive and reassuring. He picked up the letter and scanned through the words again, and this time a smile rose to his face. "I think we should try it. I now assign you, Summoner Kakashi along with Sasuke the responsibility of watching over Summoner Sakura and Naruto on the way to Hanabira."

As the two quickly wrapped up their conversation, both agreeing with what they had just discussed a loud crashing noise was heard outside that halted both of them from speaking. It sounded like a loud clank against the floor out in the hall, but it was quickly explained with shouting.

"Come back here, you little brat!"

"_Nyah_! Aren't youthe Demon Fox? You should be able to run faster than me!"

"Damn right I am! And I can _so_ run faster than you!"

"Naruto, stop chasing the poor boy around!"

"All of you, shut the hell up! It's morning!"

Kakashi sighed as he heard his own Summon shouting at the new guests and quickly dismissed himself from the Hokage's presence with a salute before setting out, taking the small scribbled paper on the desk with him. The moment he walked into the hall a flurry of shorter heads flashed by him, the last one which he managed to catch with his hand by the collar being Sasuke.

The young male seemed to jerk his head back harshly and came to a sudden halt, but as soon as he looked to see who stopped him from his mini rampage he immediately calmed down. His eyes seemed to fall towards the floor in a bit of shame and Kakashi let go, knowing full well that Sasuke wasn't going to attempt to run away. "Master . . ."

The rest of the individuals causing the commotion, notably Konohamaru, Naruto and Sakura, also stopped when they saw Kakashi and hurried over towards him as if it were a command. He smiled at all of them like it wasn't a problem in the least, but all of them had the same sorry expression Sasuke possessed.

"I'm sorry, Kakashi," Sakura was the first to say, bowing a little bit and folding her hands together in her lap. She glanced over to Naruto just a little bit and obediently he did the same, followed by Konohamaru.

The older Summoner waved it off, even laughing a bit as he pat the top of his Summon's head affectionately. He hadn't done what the others did, but it seemed like he was quite embarrassed. "It's fine. I don't know what happened, but it must have been interesting; Sasuke doesn't usually yell at people so loud even the trainees in the court yard can hear it."

At this Konohamaru and Naruto giggled, not even caring that they were also just as loud moments before. Sakura stood up straight once again and nodded in acceptance, then she looked back behind him to see the giant doors she remembered as the Hokage's room. She frowned.

'_Truthfully,' _she thought, ignoring any current conversation the ones around her were having, _'I had wanted to speak to the Hokage this morning about where I should go first . . . But then Konohamaru had to jump in our bed and wake us up. I guess I should just let Naruto sleep until he's ready, or else he'll be irritable every morning.'_

This made her look to Sasuke, who was standing next to Kakashi proudly once again. He was wearing a healthy smirk that seemed to make Naruto angry, and the two exchanged petty words. This time one of them had managed to keep their cool. _'He's so much different from my Summon, but I don't know too much about him yet. I wonder if all Summons are different.'_

"Sakura?" Kakashi called, taking the young lady out of her thoughts. Not only was the Summoner in front of her trying to get her attention, but Konohamaru was tugging at her skirt, begging to be picked up. She smiled and complied, wedging him against her hip and wrapping her arms around his small figure.

"Yes?" she asked. She didn't want to miss anything he said, especially if it was important. It was then that Kakashi began to walk out into one of the three hallways, the middle one which they had all crossed yesterday when they first came to meet the Hokage. He glanced back at them, signaling for all of them to follow, and they did.

As they continued to walk, now down the flight of stairs and all of them admiring the glass masterpieces around them Kakashi spoke again. All of them with the exception of Konohamaru listened. "It seems that the Hokage has given you, Sakura, and me a little mission as Summoners before you start your journey."

"A mission?" Sakura and Naruto repeated together, both equally curious. He nodded.

"Yes." He held up a small paper in his hands, the very same roughly written note that he had taken earlier. "This is a letter from an old friend of mine in Hanabira. He says recently there was an old Summon Staff discovered in the coal mines near the town, but there are no Summoners there to unlock its potential."

"Hanabira," Sakura thought, her mind trying to remember the name. She was excited about the mission, of course -this seemed like an incredible honor to be a part of- but she had to get other priorities straight first. Then she remembered. "Oh! That's a small town in the north, right? I think it's in this country still, Konoha, but it might be in Suna country as well."

"It's not in Suna," Sasuke spat as if it were obvious. "Hanabira is a port town that has boat trips to Suna, but that's all the connection it has. Don't you know your own country?"

Sakura had no reply for that as she kept herself quiet, a little ashamed by Sasuke's words. Still, Kakashi seemed not to be affected by her answer like his Summon was and even helped justify her mistake with a smile.

"Now, now, Sasuke," he started, "Tsunade was teaching her magic- not geography."

"So, so!" Naruto interrupted, his voice sounding childishly eager for answers. Sakura smiled sweetly, glad that he was so easily able to change things. "Tell us what we're going to do! What's the Summoning Staff like? Did your friend say?"

By this time the small party had reached the entrance of the Hokage's home and they were back at the gate, the one place people could enter from outside. Asuma was there on guard just as he was the day before and he gave a quick salute to them all, smiling. All of them stopped their walk as Kakashi did, and he turned to look at all of them.

"This is actually a special thing for you, Sakura," he said, surprising the young girl. "In order to become a strong Summoner that could defeat Orochimaru, you can't just stay with one Summon forever. I'm sure you knew that already."

Sakura nodded, and he continued. "Hanabira, despite being a port town, doesn't have much going for it; in fact, it's barely used as a port town at all anymore, so not many people care to go there. The coal mines are its only worth, and it's rare for them to find anything so valuable.

"This is going to be a special personal test for you, Sakura. I know that I could easily unlock the Summon inside the staff, but the question is if you can. And if you _can _do it successfully, you'll have another partner on you."

'_That's right!' _Sakura thought, a smile coming to her face. The rapid excitement made her feel ready to go and see what she could do, but just as quickly other thoughts were rising in her mind that made her want to think things over just a bit more. _'But how does one unlock a Summon . . .? When I opened the scroll Naruto was trapped in, he just came out, but this isn't a scroll we're talking about here.'_

Sakura was brought out of her thoughts when she felt someone wring their arm around her neck and turned to see herself face-to-face with Naruto, who was grinning. "Don't worry about everything! We'll figure out the hard stuff when we get there."

Those words alone made things suddenly seem like they were going to be okay. A fuzzy, warm feeling filled her chest as she smiled back, then she felt Konohamaru's small grip on her shoulder and looked down. He had a very sad, tearful expression on her face. Even though she wanted to be sad with him, her enthusiasm couldn't be hidden.

"You . . ." Konohamaru said, sniffling a little bit. "You're going to have to leave now, aren't you?"

"Awwww," she said in a sympathetic tone, squeezing him tightly in a hug then kissing his forehead. As she tried to settle him back on the ground there was a little bit of resistance, but it seemed he understood just how important this was. Little tears were already coming down his baby cheeks, and just before she turned to the gate he gave her one last hug around the leg.

"You're gonna come back, aren't you?" he asked, his voice a little shaking. This time he felt a small pat on the forehead and looked up to her beaming, this time wider than ever.

"No worries," she said, and he let go of her. "I will come back as soon as I defeat Orochimaru."

"But first," Naruto said, also ruffling up the child's hair a bit as a strange sort of goodbye, "To Hanabira! Let's see what that Summoning Staff has to offer!"

X x x x x

So, now they're off to Hanabira:D I think that word means Petal or something . . . Dunno! Trying to go with the Leaf theme. XD Anyone else know any good words for the theme?

Poor Konohamaru the duck . . . he really is so cute! T.T I adore him. And I think in the subbed version of Naruto he has the cutest voice _Evar_! And then Rock Lee comes next, because his voice is just to honestly boyish and excitable . . . _cute_! XD

Sasuke is an arrogant little punk in this story, isn't he? Or cocky? Who knows how to put it . . . but, it's just the way he is. He's very loyal to his master Kakashi though, and Lord knows he would never bad mouth him:D Summons are naturally very loyal to their masters, but I supposed there would be ones that don't get along so well.

krn-kimbap- Ack! I hadn't realized it would be that funny . . . I was honestly thinking that, but now I know exactly how he'll come into the story! Unfortunately though, it won't be for a long, long while . . . Please wait until then! T.T

Nocterayne- OMGosh, I can't believe I did that! XD I was thinking of both of them when I wrote that description, Genma and Asuma . . . But now I've edited it! XD But I still kept that toothpick in, 'cause Asuma seems like a toothpick person. Lol! Genma is awsome too though. I'll have to fit him in somewhere:D

And of course, Sakura has many things to learn now since this is the beginning of the story. Even though she's studied magic and summoning for years, doing the real thing will be challening:D By the time she faces Orochimaru, she'll be ready. Go Sakura! XD –Hugs- Thank you for all of the advice and the helps and the suggestions and everything! XD It's really working well!

December Jewel- Thank you very much:D I hope you'll continue to read and enjoy this story . . . And I hope it stays original too!

Hatake Naruto- Thank you! I'm still not sure if this story will be Naruto x Sakura, but everyone seems to be rooting for it a lot! The weblink doesn't work though . . . I tried! T.T I hope there is another way I can get there, since it seems nice.

starry096- Thank you very much:D I hope you enjoy this chapter as well.

HinatasBiggestFanBoy- Thanks a lot:D I'm so happy you like this.

DFIRE314- Of course:D I'll try my best to continue this story.

Search and Seek and Destroy- Thank you! I already know what I want Rock Lee to be as a Summon (Yes, he'll be a Summon!) but I'm not sure when I want to put him in. The next one will be the one in the Summoning Staff, and I'm still trying to figure out which one I want next. XD lol! And Naruto isn't at full power yet, much like how Sakura hasn't reached her full potential. It'll be fun watching them grow:D

Just A Reviwer- Nope:D This story will definitely not have any boys' love whatsoever, though I do spend a bit too much time reading them. XD lol! I love reading NaruSasu fics so much it's scary, but they definitely won't have any chemistry here! XD

Omegamoon02- No, thank _you _for reviewing my story! –Hugs- You have no idea how happy it makes me. XD I love to talk too, so I guess that's why I reply to things people say. It's like interacting and stuff, right? lol:D So many people are rooting for Naruto x Sakura; they really _would _be a cute couple, wouldn't they?

Shiroi Hikari- Oh, thank you so much:D Having my story in your favorites is an honor. Oooh, more Naruto x Sakura fans! But I never thought of it like that before . . ."A Summoner in love with her Summon. . . " Ack! I might have to intergrate that idea somehow in my story. If you don't mind, of course! It was your idea. XD

Karura-Chan- Thank you! Hee, I'm going to try and add action soon, though I admit I'm not the best at it. But now that they're on a journey, they'll have plenty of things to fight and learn from expirience:D Yeah!


	6. The Sealed Summon

**Chapter Six**

**The Sealed Summon**

"Aaaaaah," Naruto sighed heavily, leaning his whole body weight against a tree. Even though the sun was being covered by a thick layer of leaves above and around them, beads of sweat were dripping down his pale face. He closed his eyes, his back sliding until his bottom hit the ground. "I don't want to go on anymore . . ."

"What an idiot," Sasuke muttered, stepping over the legs of the rival Summon. Unlike Naruto, he looked as if he were just taking an ordanairy stroll in he forest; nothing out of the ordanairy was happening to make him seem weak. "I can't believe there are Summons as bad as you. Konohamaru could beat you, even."

"That little duck couldn't lay a finger on me even if he tried!"

"But at least he can run faster."

"Dammit, you-"

"Both of you!" Sakura and Kakashi called at the same time, a hint of anger in each of their tones. Sasuke seemed to stop just as his own fangs were protruding, while Naruto was standing and sharpening the claws along his fingers. However, they both obeyed their masters without question and turned their heads away.

It had been four days since they had begun their journey out towards Hanabira, which unluckily for them was one of the furthest towns in the country from their starting point. Still, it was a small country, so they all knew they only had a short time left. If anything, they only has a night or two of travelling to go.

Even in those four days they had managed to come across problems. There were creatures lurking, thieves hiding themselves, and even the occasional magician, all whom ran like cowards once they had figured out they were trying to place their lives on the line against Summoner Kakashi.

However, none of those problems were nearly as bad as the chemistry between Naruto and Sasuke. Immediately from the moment they met they had begun bickering over the littlelest, simplest things. It happened so much and started so easily that even their masters were beginning to wear thin.

Naruto hurried to stand next to Sakura on the furthest side away from him new found enemy, sending the black haired Summon a fierce glare before looking away towards the forest with a pout. Sakura frowned as she noticed the other boy do the same thing; it couldn't be helped, no matter how tired she was by it.

"Say, Kakashi," she started slowly, trying to get a conversation going somehow. She wasn't exactly sure of what to say, but she wanted anything to try and lower the tense atmosphere around them. "Why don't you tell us more about this friend of yours? We've talked about the town itself many times, but nothing about him."

"Iruka?" Kakashi said, and everyone paid attention. As he spoke, he looked up towards the leaves above him, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Well, he's not a Summoner, if that's what you're asking."

"What else?" Sasuke said in an almost demanding voice, something unusual for him to use against someone he held so highly. Sakura assumed that perhaps even he didn't know who Iruka was; it might have been a friend from before Kakashi had become a Summoner.

Kakashi seemed to immediately understand this strange sort of jealously from his Summon and smiled. "He and I grew up together in Hanabira, as best friends. But while I decided to do what I'm doing today, he wanted to be an ordanairy coal miner. He's pretty good as a magician though, I'll give him that."

"Wow!" Sakura and Naruto said at the same time. Both were sharing the same wide, excited grin that just begged for more information. "Then Hanabira is your hometown!"

"In a sense, yes. I haven't been there for about eight or so years though- I've only spoken to Iruka through letters."

"Then, are you exi-"

Sakura, who had began to ask the question, immediately halted her steps as something whizzed by her face. She shut her eyes to protect them from the unexpected attack and felt a strong hand jerk her back. When she opened them again, her back was against Naruto's chest and he had one arm shifted around her protectively, the other hand gripping her wrist.

"Who's there!" he snarled, his hold on his master tightening as the aura about him became more fierce. While Sakura was a little scared of the unexpected, dark ominous feeling that came from Naruto she held still, knowing she could trust him with her care well. The six playful scars along with cheeks became rough and scratchy as his eyes delved from a sky blue to a deep blood red. She flinched when the grip around her body received the added strength of his claws, but she kept silent.

Kakashi and Sasuke also seemed to prepare for another attack; even the scales from Sasuke's snake body were beginning to prickle on his skin, and his own sharp fangs grew.

"Master," the more expirienced of the two Summons said, stepping towards where the attack had come from. The windmills in his eyes began to spin fiercly and his arms and legs were beginning to melt into one single, long form which slithered into the plants inconspicuously. "Wait here."

"Will do," Kakashi replied plainly, trusting Sasuke's instincts without another thought. While the black snake dissapeard into the greenery to investigate the sudden attack Naruto let go of Sakura; neither one of them paid any mind to the red marks on her skin from him.

"I'm gonna go with him," Naruto stated defiantly, and before either Sakura or Kakashi could call him back he hurried into the woods, although it was lacking the same grace and silence the former had performed. Even without the protection of her Summon the young girl kept herself calm, turning over to look at Kakashi who had begun to move.

He didn't go far. Kakashi stepped quietly until he reached a certain tree, then he kneeled and let his digits glide along the bark. They continued until he flinched a little, and when Sakura kneeled beside him to see what he was doing she noticed a prick from his finger had dripped blood along a thin needle that had embedded intelf. Before, one couldn't have possibly seen it with the lack of sunlight and the great ammount of shadows it was so unnoticable.

With that Kakashi pulled out one, two, three needles for the tree, making sure not to get pricked again. He stood up and Sakura along with him, then he displayed the deadly weapons to her.

"The people behind this are rather famous," he explained with a serious expression. Sakura stared up at him with intent, wondering just who it was that was behind what had just happened. "They pray on Summoners with strength and name, defeating even some of the most powerful ones. Ex-Summoner Zabuza and his Sealed Summon Haku."

"Ex-Summoner? Sealed Summon?" she questioned, wanting a little more detail. She wondered if it was really her they were aiming at or if it was Kakashi. After all, he said they only attacked Summoners with strength and name, and she had only been one for no more than five days. Kakashi, however, seemed like an incredibly strong person to her with the title as one of the best guards for the Hokage. _'Even more, within moments Sasuke had Naruto pinned to the ground when they fought for the first time.'_

"You've never heard of these?" he asked, looking up and tapping his index finger against his chin, making sure to keep the needles safely away from the skin under his mask. He looked as if he were in thought. "Well . . . Ex-Summoners are Summoners that were convicted of using their Summons to commit crimes. Not only do Sealers take away their power, they also destroy the Summon's capabilities or power."

It was a lot of information at once, but Sakura was sure she could handle it easily. Now that he had told her what Zabuza and Haku were she remembered reading about such people. However, she never read much about Ex-Summoners since it was rare for one to try such evil deeds. "Sealers are those that can steal magic, right? So they take away any power of a convicted criminal?"

"Exactly!" Kakashi replied with a smile, patting her head rather cutely as if she were a child with his other hand. "You really are smart for your age."

Still, even then there was one more question she wanted to know. It was something she didn't understand; she knew that Summoners were forced to become Ex-Summoners after being convicted of a crime, but what of the Summon? If Zabuza and Haku were still together even after becoming criminals -and escaped criminals, she presumed- then what was the punishment of the Summon? _'Sealed Summon Haku . . . what does it mean to take away their capabilities?'_

"What does it mean to seal a Summon . . .?" she wondered out loud, though it was only a low mutter so Kakashi didn't hear it. But not wanting to be burdened with anything that would leave her distracted she decided to dismiss the idea and instead started to follow Kakashi, who ignored Sasuke's personal demand of staying in one place. _'Right now our priority is to either fight or get away from Haku and Zabuza so we can get to Hanabira.'_

But just when she had taken her first step towards the older man a thin, sharp pain rooted itself on the back of her neck, giving her no worries as her mind went blank.

x

Naruto and Sasuke had slipped into their less humane forms for the sole purpose of attacking whoever tried to violate their masters, but after much searching and no bodies they had taken back their former appearance. The black haired Summon was the one in the lead, keenly observing and trying to be as quiet as possible when sifting through the forest. But on the contrary, the Fox Demon was loud and boastful as he tried to sniff for any clues.

"This place has too many scents!" he complained, pinching his nose between his fingers and sitting cross-legged on the ground. "I can't find anybody here . . . Let's go back to Sakura and Kakashi, okay?"

"Don't speak of Master that way," Sasuke spoke flaty, pausing his movements briefly just to give his company a dark glare, "You have no right to refer to him by his name. And give your own master some respect."

"Sakura said I could call her by her name!" he said back, puffing out his cheeks. Naruto didn't understand why, but while he felt close with Sakura and somehow admired Kakashi, he couldn't stand Sasuke. The only reason he followed the snake was to find out what happened. _'But we haven't found anything . . . this sucks.'_

"Your master is weak," Sasuke said, turning his body all the way. "Master has hopes for her, but I wouldn't be surprised if she wound up dead after we're done with h-"

Sasuke had no time to finish his sentence when a fast, large blur bludgeoned against his cheek, sending him flailing back hard against a nearby tree. He had closed his eyes for protection, and by the time he opened them again Naruto already had a new fist ready, the other hand balling up Sasuke's shirt.

"Don't you _ever_ talk about her that way!" he shouted loudly, his voice echoing around the both of them. But just as quickly as he had screamed his words they also became threatingly quiet, and a fire burned in his eyes as he stared harshly. "Say anything about Sakura again and I don't care what Kakashi does. I'll kill you."

Sasuke visibly flinched, a shortness of breath beginning to come to him. Somehow he wasn't frightened, but at the same time he felt he regretted mentioning anything at all. A powerful aura, something more than anything he had felt in Naruto's presence before was beginning to rise, making his senses go alert. _'This can't be the same guy who was complaining like an idiot before . . . this . . . this is definitely the Fox Demon!'_

Sasuke didn't dare move, but instead braced himself for another hit, his fingers clamping onto the bark of the tree behind him to hold on during the punch. But as he shut his eyes and waited, nothing came. Instead the grip Naruto had on the collar of his shirt loosened, and a vague shout caused him to open his eyes again and look around. As he glanced at Naruto, who seemed back to normal, he was sure he had noticed the same thing.

"That was Kakashi," Naruto muttered, staring out. He had completely ignored any menial threats Sasuke had made before about respect, and it was only because of the sudden realization of the Fox Demon's power that Sasuke kept quiet. "I hope they're ok- _Ow_!"

"Idiot," Sasuke, who had just given Naruto a small push on his back, braced himself for quick running. "Don't just assume things are okay when you hear something; the first step to being a good Summon is to check on your master, not just hope things are all well."

"R-Right . . ." For once the both of them seemed to be in agreement and with a single step and ran. They hurried to try and rush to the aid of their masters before the other could, hopping over roots and jumping off the side of the trees to try and push themselves further. Even in between their little competition, however, they realized that they might not have much to play around with if there was real danger.

As Naruto seemed to duck underneath one of Sasuke's arms to get in the lead, only to be knocked in the face with the oncoming tree branch the both of them stopped. Naruto lightly rubbed his nose and cursed profranities before getting up and getting started on running again, but the other Summon purposefully blocked his way.

"Hey, what's the big idea!" the blond shouted, shoving the other to try and go on, though he met with no success. "Come on! _You're_ the one that said we had to hurry!"

"We can't," Sasuke said, instantly winning the other's confusion. The Fox Demon stopped with meaningless struggling, for the first time noticing Sasuke was staring at something intently. When he turned to see what it was he noticed just an ordanairy tree. He shrugged; he wasn't sure what that had to do with anything at all. "Uhh . . . I'm not following you."

"Look." When he pointed Naruto caught something he normally wouldn't have noticed. At about their height was a heavy dent in the tree where the bark was missing, along with a small, smearing stain of blood. "That's the tree you slammed me into. We're going in circles."

"Oh . . ."

"Is that all you have to say about that?"

"Shut up! You were the one leading us most of the way and stuff, so it's your faul-"

"No, that's not what I meant," he said, earning Naruto's questioning expression once again. For a brief moment there was a heavy silence between the two of them, but that quickly ceased when Sasuke darted out a hand towards the leaves above them, pulling out a thin, frail hand with small needles between the fingers. His eyes narrowed. "I meant someone has been making us go in circles."

"My bad." The hand that had been caught was let go and ducked back into its hiding place, then a whole figure jumped down and landed gracefully before them. "But this is what Master wanted."

A young, beautiful girl stood before them with a pale, feeble looking body. She possessed a soft smile and gentle golden brown eyes, some of it which was hiding underneath long, silky black hair. With such a greeting appearance that would put even the coldest of men off guard Naruto and Sasuke were stunned in place. Neither one of them had expected their newfound enemy to look the way they did.

"So," Naruto started, looking from the girl to Sasuke and breaking the silence. "There are girl Summons too? I've only seen you and Konohamaru, so I just guessed . . ."

"Of course there are female Summons, idiot."

"Don't call me an idiot!"

"Umm . . ." the girl started just as the two were staring daggers into each other's eyes. She giggled a little as she lifted a hand to separate them so they wouldn't fight. "For the record, I'm a boy, but . . . that doesn't have much to do with your situation at the moment."

In an instant he dissapeard to go behind Naruto and Sasuke, placing them on alert. But, even then they couldn't -or wouldn't- dare move; in the boy's hands were tiny, thin needles, their tips pressing against their skin.

"My name is Haku," he said in a voice that was calm, but tainted with an underlying malice. "and I don't want to hurt either of you. But your masters can't stay in this world any longer. Both of them are going to die."

Naruto felt a shiver run of his spine as the tip pushed even deeper into his neck, ready and willing to break the fleshy skin underneath. Beads of start were beginning to form along his cheeks and were dripping off of his and onto his collarbone. _'This guy . . . he's serious! What kind of Summon is this?'_

X x x x x

Aaaargh . . . Writer's Block! It's a terrible thing:D Still, I hope I wrote this chapter okay for you guys . . . some people asked for more action in the story, but this isn't really action- just a more energetic thing, I guess! Anyways, yes! It's Haku! I love him. XD

And I'm sure there are those who are wondering . . . Sasuke wasn't jealous of Iruka because of he loves Kakashi. This story isn't a shounen-ai! Any relationships between boys are completely platonic. Sasuke is just a posessive and loyal character in this story, so when he doesn't know something about his master is makes him angry. Get what I mean?

-Hugs- Thank you all for your reviews, and your patience!

Shi-Sha Hariken- Thank you! Gosh, I'm going to miss Konohamaru. T.T I have no idea when I'm going to add him in again! I thought he was so cute . . . Have you watched the anime for Naruto? His voice is too adorable! XD

December Jewel- Well, I don't know if this counts as soon, but I hope that's okay! XD

DFIRE314- So close:D Only they get to fight Haku and Zabuza before they get to Hanabira. XD I'm excited to reveal the Summon in the staff . . . I hope it'll be within the next three chapters or so! It's so strange for me; the chapters I write for this story are longer than ones I normally write, but I feel like the progress isn't so quick . . . Weird! Oh, and some of the rookie nine will be Summons, others Summoners, and then other things too! Like Magicians and Sealers and stuff. XD Diverse!

Yokaigurl- Thank you:D Hee, I'm going to try my best to introduce all of the characters from Naruto in this story. So yes! Eventually Shikamaru, Neji and Gaara will come in.

Kyubi-Naruto- Thank you! Naruto is actually a little different from the average Summon, but more on that will be revealed as the story goes on . . . So far, including this chapter he has yet to fully turn into the Fox Demon like how Sasuke fully turns into a snake, but there's a reason for it!

Search and Seek and Destroy- XD Oh, Gosh . . . everybody wants them as a couple! It's crazy, but I think I'll be able to pull off that sort of romance. And I'm glad you liked the bed scene too! I want the both of them for now to be friends, or cutely innocent in a way. XD I hope it turned out that way!

Lady Nagome of the West- Thank you! I'm happy you liked this so far . . . I'm really trying! Gaara will come in eventually (And he may very well be the next Summon or Summoner or whatever!), but I'm not sure how to prepare it yet. XD

zero25- Thank you very much:D I'm happy you like it.

Aemkea- Thank you!

krn-kimbap- I think because there's so much demand, I might just make it NaruSaku. XD They're so popular already, it's amazing!

Shinobi Darkbeak- Thanks:D

Lonewolf-chica- Aww, a cute little heart:D I'm glad you're finding so much interest in my story. I hope it'll continue to be that way! XD

**Got a question? Ask! It's FAQ time! –Throws confetti- **


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